Gary Coates

Gary Coates passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of January 10 with his children nearby. He lived a good, long life to the age of 90.
Although Gary had faced numerous health issues over the years, including heart disease, diabetes and dementia, his ticker kept going - and so did he. At Dickson Hollow, his residence for the past nine years, he was known for swift maneuvers with his walker (and later, wheelchair) and eager visits to the on-site store for ice cream. He was making new friends into his final days, sharing jokes with staff from Dickson Hollow and hospice. And up until the point when infirmity interfered, his main objective each day was to attend a nightly cocktail hour with friends, drinking his ritual brandy Manhattan on the rocks - with an olive, never a cherry.
Gary was born in Milwaukee to Clifford and Lillian Coates. He attended Messmer High School, where he met his lifelong love, Helen. They married shortly before Gary graduated from Marquette University with a degree in civil engineering. His award-winning career took him across the Midwest (and beyond) as a Municipal Engineer for the City of Waukesha, Engineering Manager of the City of Racine's water and wastewater treatment plants and Corporate Director of Water and Wastewater Services for SEC Donohue, among numerous other positions along the way.
He worked for many years with Donohue & Associates, Inc., and later Rust E&I/SEC Donohue, retiring in 1995 - at which point, he loved nothing better than a sunny day on the golf course (in the summer), a Packers win (fall) and a Marquette basketball victory (winter). He was a fan to the very end, taking his Marquette sweatshirt with him to his final resting place.
Gary is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, David and Diana Coates of Mukwonago; his daughter and son-in-law Kathie and John Buono of Pewaukee; his daughter and son-in-law Karen Coates and Jerry Redfern of Bosque Farms, New Mexico; his granddaughters and grandsons-in-law, Melissa and Mike Malison and Megan and Patrick Hamilton; his step-grandchildren and their spouses, Devin and Katie DeGroot and Danielle and Daniel Helbling; his beloved great-grandchildren and step-grandchildren, Jameson and Mila Hamilton, Callum and Paxton DeGroot and Millie Helbling; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would like to express their deep gratitude to the caring and compassionate staffs of Dickson Hollow and Brighton Hospice.
Visitation at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 1755 North Calhoun Road, Brookfield, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM, on Wednesday, January 22. Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM, followed by lunch at the church and burial at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Waukesha.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Marquette University College of Engineering or the Dickson Hollow/Presbyterian Homes Foundation.
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